Tehachapi
Native Plants
For Your WaterWise Landscape
Native plant gardens are wild. We’re trying to help you understand their natural needs, and make them as fun for
you as they have been for us. Taming is not the operative word. Rather, living with, experiencing, and enjoying
the vitality of a native garden instead. Quote from Las Pilitas Nursery web page.
Photo credit: Sue Langley, SierraFllothillGarden.com
This book is for you if you…..

Are tired of the high cost of lawn living.

Want to reduce your outdoor water use (and your water bill!)

And by the way, want to reduce or eliminate your use of fertilizer, pesticides, air polluting lawn equipment, green waste sent to the landfill, etc.

Want to support the three B’s—birds, bees, and butterflies.

Want to grow plants that belong here.

Want to have a more sustainable lifestyle.
What we’re promoting is a different way of gardening and landscaping . It is a kinder and more generous
way that has a focus on sharing your land with your non-human neighbors instead of excluding them. It is
certainly a less resource intensive way, but don’t let anyone tell you it is low maintenance. You trade one
type of maintenance for another. Sell the lawn mower on Craigslist, but be prepared to put on your gardening gloves and pull weeds. Or fire the lawn guy and hire a gardener.
Landscaping with native plants is different. This is not a landscape where you can set the irrigation timer
and forget about it. Whether you planted that manzanita last year or the year before matters because
established manzanitas should not be watered. Putting a new plant that needs lots of water next to the
established manzanita is not going to work for the manzanita. One aspect of native plant landscape
maintenance is paying attention! Must be present to win.
What do you win? The butterflies will be in your yard instead of your neighbor’s! The many health benefits of gardening are well documented (but see http://learn.eartheasy.com/2014/09/6-unexpected-health
-benefits-of-gardening/). We hope you will come to an awareness and connection to your plot of land in
a way that is deep and profound—priceless! So go get your hands in the dirt.
THE SECRET TO
SUCCESSFUL
LANDSCAPING
IN CALIFORNIA!
We’re special! But then you knew that already. California (except for its deserts) is one of a handful of areas in the world with a
Mediterranean climate. Our climate is characterized by moderate wet winters and hot dry summers. In some ways, it is backwards from the rest of the US. The California native plants come to life with the winter rains, and many grow like crazy and
bloom in early to mid spring, while plants in the rest of the country are just starting to come out of winter dormancy. As summer
gets hotter and dryer, many of the California native plants go into a resting phase, or go into summer dormancy, while plants in
the rest of the country are growing like crazy and blooming in response to summer rainfall.
California native plants know how to grow in a Mediterranean climate. Once established, they don’t need much water in summer.
California native plants know how to grow in our low nutrient soils. They don’t need fertilizer, and it can even be bad for them.
California native plants in their native range live within a web of life— with their pollinators, their seed dispersers, and their symbiotic soil organisms like mycorrhizal fungi and bacteria. This web supports us all!
California buckeye, Aesculus californica
The buckeye is a wonderful example of a plant adapted to a Mediterranean climate. A shrubby tree to 15 feet in the landscape,
it’s growth cycle starts with the mid-winter rains. The buckeye is the first tree of the season to leaf out, with leaf buds bursting
open in that marvelous spring green color. Flowering follows in mid-spring, and by July the tree starts to go dormant. Not to
worry, the silver gray of the leafless plant has it’s own special beauty, with the large fuzzy seed pods suspended from the tips of
the branches. During the hot dry season, the plant is putting all its energy into growing its large seeds instead of leaves and flowers. All parts are toxic to humans, livestock, and the non-native honeybees, but the flowers swarm with native pollinators, and
squirrels nibble on the nuts. A true California native.
Photo credit: Nativeson.com
Photo courtesy of RangerX
THE SECRET TO SUCCESSFUL LANDSCAPING IN TEHACHAPI VALLEY!
Not only are we special being in a Mediterranean climate, but we’re special being at a higher elevation. California gardening
books, even native plant books, often focus on where all the people are, coastal areas, foothills, and inland low elevation regions. Plants in these books may not get through our winters. That is why I’ve put a lot of effort into researching native plants
that do, in fact, grow here.
if you like selecting plants by zones, here they are. If you live in the valley floor, you’re in USDA hardiness zone 8a, heat zone 5,
and Sunset zone 7. Foothill and mountain areas are USDA hardiness zone 8b, heat zone 6, and I couldn’t figure out the Sunset
zone. This information came from www.plantmaps.com.
THE PLANTS IN THIS
BOOK:
Grow naturally in the Tehachapi Mountains.
Grow naturally at Tehachapi Valley elevations.
Are almost all perennials.
Are low water use plants unless noted
otherwise.
Mostly need no irrigation once established.
Attract pollinators and feed wildlife.
Can be used for lawn removal rebate programs
THE PLANTS IN THIS
BOOK ARE NOT:
Readily available in big box stores.
THE NATIVE PLANT COMMANDMENTS
1.
Do not amend the soil. Research and find plant species that grow in
your soil type (clay, decomposed granite, etc.). Native plants grow fine
in plain ol’ dirt.
2.
Do not fertilize. Native plants are used to California’s low nutrient
soils.
3.
Do not water during summer. Once your plants are established (1-2
years), stop watering in summer. Native plants are used to dry soil in
summer. What they can’t handle is warm moist soil and the bacteria
that flourish and cause root rot and other diseases.
4.
Do not use drip irrigation. Micro-irrigation is great, but deliver the
water with micro– sprayers instead of drippers. The more the irrigation resembles rainfall, the happier your native plants will be.
It is going to take some effort on your part to
get them. The plants included here are available in quite a few native plant nurseries, none
of which are in Tehachapi or even close by.
You can:
Order them through our local plant nursery.
Order them on-line and have them shipped
Take some day trips to native plant nurseries or
stop by when you’re in the area for some other
reason. See http://www.cnps.org/cnps/
grownative/where_to_buy.php
NO!
PLANTING AND WATERING
A CALIFORNIA NATIVE PLANT
IS DIFFERENT
It’s time to set aside everything you thought you knew about plants and gardening, and read with an open mind.

The best time to put in new plants in our California mediterranean climate is Fall. They get winter rains and snow. Their
roots continue to grow through the winter even when the shoots are dormant.

Dig a hole the size of the root ball. Not twice as wide. No need to pre-soak the planting hole.

Disturb the root ball as little as possible, but do scrape a finger down the edge of the root ball to disrupt circling roots.

Place the plant in the hole so that the surface of the root ball is at the surface of the surrounding soil, no more, no less.
Backfill with site dirt (No amendments. No fertilizer).

Gophers are a fact of life. Consider a wire basket around the root ball. If other plant eaters are a problem, consider a cage
around the whole plant for a year or so. Native plants have ways to protect themselves from plant eaters, otherwise they
wouldn't be alive today. Overwatering and producing lush new growth is a sure way to attract the plant eaters.

For the FIRST watering, water lavishly, like 30 gallons. Water out beyond the root ball about a foot. Water until the soil is
moist 18 inches down. You are thoroughly soaking the whole volume of soil surrounding the root ball.
It is important to gauge how much water wets your soil down 18+ inches, so you might want to experiment
before you plant. Pick a spot and water for a set amount of time, then slice into the soil with a shovel to see
how far down the water went. You may be surprised. Repeat until you have a feel for the time/amount of water it takes to soak your soil deeply. Be aware that you might have more than one soil type in your yard, and
they may soak at very different rates.
You can also test soil moisture depth with a probe. Of course there are any number of high tech ways to do
this, or a thin metal rod will work. Moist soil is easy to penetrate but the rod will be stopped by dry soil. You
can buy a soil probe for about $25 or make one yourself.

After the first watering, let the first inch or two of surface soil dry out. This may take a week or more. Then water to soak
the whole volume of soil around the plant again (one foot beyond the edge of the root ball and about 18 inches deep). Repeat for the first year (some plants described here need even less water).

Mulch in a wide circle around the new plant but not up against its trunk. The best mulch is produced right there in your own
yard, oak leaves or pine needles (only if you don’t have to worry about fire clearance). Otherwise, native plants do best with
shredded redwood or cedar bark. Some plants, particularly desert species, prefer rock mulch.

For a little extra protection, place a rock on the south or west side of the plant.

Water consciously! Native plants are much more likely to be damaged by too much water than too little. Remember, after
the first year, no water in summer (unless it’s a really dry year, then water occasionally, like once a month, in summer).
Among our showiest perennial wildflowers, penstemons like
hot and dry in summer, and will not do well in an irrigated garden or landscape. Water them abundantly a few times and
then no more water. And no fertilizer! There is a long list of
penstemons. These are the ones that are native to the Tehachapi Valley and surroundings.
PENSTEMONS
Scarlet bugler, Penstemon centranthifolius
The scarlet bugler doesn’t need our “care”. It prefers bare
rocky soil with low fertility and rapid drainage, although
the plant can survive in clay if it has low organic matter. It
will grow 1-2 feet tall and wide with flower stalks up to 4
feet high, blooming from April to July and beyond. It will
attract hummingbirds, and is recognized by pollination
ecologists as being particularly attractive to native bees. It
has been found locally in Oak Creek Canyon.
Gary A. Moore 2010
Jean Pawek 2011
Grinnell’s penstemon, Penstemon grinnellii
You can tell from the photo why it’s other name is
beardtongue! Its large open mouth and roomy interior
is made for those black carpenter bees. It is a clumpy
plant to 2 feet with spikes of flowers blooming MayJuly. Prefers a good watering once or twice in July.
Found fairly regularly in our area and grows abundantly
on the Brite Lake dam.
Jean Pawek, 2011
Bridge’s penstemon
Penstemon rostriflorus
Prefers rocky areas at higher
elevations and is found here at
Mountain Park. Likes cool summers with some water midway
through the summer. With it’s
downward turned flowers it is
specifically wanting hummingbird pollinators, in fact, the lower
petals are rolled back to make
sure no bees can land and crawl
into the flower tube. Long-lived,
it can form sizeable clumps with
a woody base and up to 3 feet. It
blooms throughout late summer,
filling a gap of time in your pollinator garden when few other
plants are blooming.
Steven Thorsted 2011
Vernon Smith 2008
Showy penstemon
Penstemon speciosus
Flowers range from sky blue to purple or
lavendar and seem almost iridescent in
their vividness. One of the smaller penstemons, it even grows prostrate at high
elevations. In one study, the non-native
honeybees bypassed these flowers, but
the flowers attracted native bumblebees
and ground nesting bees from the surrounding rangeland. Appreciates well
drained soil but is flexible. Do not water
after the first summer. Use rocky mulch
around this one. Found in this area on
Piute Mountain and at Mountain Park.
Vernon Smith 2008
BUCKWHEATS
The Eriogonums are one of the largest plant groups in California, and there is a buckwheat for every garden. Plant buckwheats
in fall or spring, and after they’re established, give them a deep watering once a month during summer to keep them looking
their best—or no water works too.
California Buckwheat, Eriogonum fasciculatum
Evergreen, flowering from April to October,
attracting bees, butterflies, and other pollinators,
and producing abundant seeds for the birds—every
southern California garden should have at least one.
It does well in problem soils and eroded slopes. The
plant grows into a large 3-4 foot mound enveloped
with white to cream flower clusters. Flowers age to
a rich chocolate brown. California buckwheat roots
form a symbiotic partnership with fungi called arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi which is one reason why
it can live in very difficult conditions. This plant
grows everywhere in Tehachapi Valley!
California Buckwheat is a host plant for the caterpillars of four species of the little blue and hairstreak
butterflies.
Sulphur-flowered buckwheat, Eriogonum umbellatum
When I first saw this plant in the Colorado mountains, the intensity
of its yellowness took my breath away! This is a mountain species
and requires full sun and well drained soil to the point of living in
gravel. Less than a foot tall, and 1-3 feet wide, it makes an excellent groundcover in difficult places. It blooms in late summer and
fall, and flowers fade to oranges and reds. This plant has a long
taproot and not amenable to transplanting. Best started from
seed, but guidelines for planting container plants can be found at
http://plants.usda.gov/plantguide/pdf/pg_erum.pdf.
Sulphur-flowered buckwheat is a host plant for caterpillars of the
lupine blue butterfly (Plebejus lupine).
Photo credit: Las Pilitas Nursery
David Graber, 2014
Naked buckwheat, Eriogonum nudum
A photo just does not do this plant credit, so much of its beauty is in its movement when its cottonball flower clusters sway in the
breeze at the end of long leafless stems. It starts from a little cluster of leaves close to the ground and grows 3 foot long stems
with flower clusters on top. Stems are sometimes enlarged. Prefers well drained soil and full sun, although it grows abundantly
along Water Canyon Road in part shade. In fall, flowers fade to a golden brown. Too much water will cause the stalks to fall over,
or worse. Try to refrain from buying the yellow variety as it is native to northern California. Naked buckwheat is a pollinator magnet and deer resistant. It is host to the Metalmark butterfly caterpillars.
Longstem buckwheat
Eriogonum elongatum
I couldn’t resist putting this one in, it
is just so cute! I see it growing along
roadsides throughout the valley.
Longstem buckwheat would be
tough to find in a nursery, but all
buckwheats grow readily from
seeds.
Pete Veilleaux
MILKWEEDS
Milkweeds can be bad for monarchs! Most of our native milkweeds are perennial,
and die back during winter. The tropical milkweed, Asclepias curvassica, is an annual
in North America, and in mild winters, can persist well into the winter months. The
local monarchs get confused and lay eggs when they should be migrating, creating
small populations of non-migratory monarchs. These groups are much more prone to
parasites than the migrants, or could easily get killed off by a cold snap. Plant milkweeds native to our area!
Kotolo milkweed, Asclepias eriocarpa
California milkweed, Asclepias californica
This plant is a bit of a sprawler and it’s
flowers hang downward, but the monarchs think it’s beautiful! The wine colored flowers bloom April through July, and
it grows in a wide variety of soil types. Full
sun is a must. Plant and water the same
as for Kotolo milkweed. Plants have been
documented around Tehachapi-Willow
Springs Road and at Tomo Kahni park.
Every part of this plant is fuzzy except the
flower parts. I’m trying to imagine what it
must be like for a caterpillar to chomp on
it, maybe like bland tasting cotton candy.
The intricacies of milkweed flowers are mind boggling! This milkweed
is 3-4 feet tall with one to several main stems and large clusters of
flowers in mid to late summer. It has large fuzzy leaves and large
gourd-shaped pods about 4 inches long which split open to release the
seeds on their fluffy parachutes.
Plant, mulch well, and water for a
month and then leave it alone. The
plant will go dormant in winter, but
leave the stalks standing because
orioles will use the stem fibers in
their nests next spring. These grow
in scattered locations throughout
Tehachapi Valley.
Narrow-leaf milkweed, Asclepias fascicularis
This is a weedy milkweed seen throughout the Tehachapi Valley
along roadsides and in vacant lots. But weedy means easy to grow
and well adapted to our area in my book of botanical definitions.
You could even gather seeds, they’re common enough to gather
without environmental concern. Plant them directly in the ground
in fall, the seedlings don’t do well in pots and often fail when
transplanted, or don’t return after winter dormancy. No special
treatment of the seeds is needed. The plants will re-seed naturally, and the number of stems in a clump will continue to increase.
The white flowers bloom June to September and often have a delicate tinge of pink or purple. A clump of narrow-leaf milkweed has
a light airy look with its slender stalks and leaves and pastel flowers.
Your milkweeds WILL get aphids. These little orange buggers are
oleander aphids, another non-native species that came along for
the ride when we brought oleanders from North Africa. Don’t
panic! You can wash them off
with a spray of water or leave
them for the ladybug larvae to
feed on. Yum!
Barry Breckling, 2015
Fuchsia
California Fuchsia, Epilobium (Zauschneria) canum
Your garden’s best kept secret, a low unassuming plant
with gray-green leaves, easily overlooked until it bursts
into bloom August-October when nothing else is blooming. Then watch out for incoming hummingbirds!
James Gonsman, 2014
A plant with an identity crisis, you will also see it called
Zauschneria, and there is a big list of varieties and colors.
Try to find one with a mountain origin (may have
“latifolium” in its name).
Does well with no water once established, but water
monthly in summer to keep it looking great. Cut it to the
ground in late fall or winter.
Jean Pawek, 2013
There has been a wholesale change in the millions of
acres of grassland in California. The native
bunchgrasses have almost entirely been replaced
with annual non-native grasses that live fast, die
young, and fuel conflagrations of wildfires.
THE
GRASSES
The native bunchgrasses can be used in the landscape as a backdrop or center stage. They add a
different texture to your garden, and serene movement as the seed heads sway in the wind. Seeds are
eaten by a host of creatures, and the blades feed
caterpillars of the skipper butterflies. Hopefully the
bunchgrasses in your garden can act as a seed
source to reintroduce native grasses to the surrounding areas.
Deer grass, Muhlenbergia rigens
Surely the queen of bunchgrasses, deer grass is readily available in the nursery trade. It’s a big one! Up to 3 feet in diameter with the seed stalks swaying to 5 feet tall. In nature,
bunchgrasses grow separated from each other by a few feet
with wildflowers growing in between. Give your deer grass
plenty of room, it will reach mature size within one to two
seasons. Comb out the dead leaves with a rake or your fingers once a year in spring, but leave those seed stalks to provide food for songbirds and quail. It can tolerate some shade
but will not tolerate poorly drained soils.
Deer may nibble a bit on deer grass, but it is mainly important
during the fawning season where stands provide cover for the
does and their newborn fawns. Ladybugs overwinter in the
clumps. The seed stalks have been used time out of mind for
basket weaving.
Fountain grass
Pennisetum setaceum
Pampas grass
Cortaderia selloana
Jubata grass
Cortaderia jubata
Jean Pawek, 2013
Indian ricegrass, Stipa hymenoides
A smaller native bunchgrass up to 1 1/2 feet tall
and 1 foot wide. It’s seed stalks produce a light
delicate airy effect. Full sun and well drained soil.
It has been found locally in Oak Creek canyon.
Gary Monroe, 2012
Pine bluegrass, Poa secunda or Poa scabrella
Pine bluegrass is a strong competitor with the nonnative annual grasses. It greens up in early spring
and is dormant through the hot summer. Seed in
under pines.
Nodding needlegrass, Stipa cernua
California melic, Melica californica
Just 6 inches tall and wide, it does best in part
shade. Seed in under oaks to fill in between dry
shade shrubs and wildflowers. Goes dormant in
summer.
Nodding needlegrass was one of the most common
bunchgrasses in California. The seedheads of this
grass glisten as they sway with the breeze. Plant
about 3 feet apart with wildflowers in between and
keep the annual grasses weeded out.
THE LUPINES
Lupines resent root disturbance, so handle them gently.
Brousseau Collection, St Mary’s College 1995
Jean Pawek, 2011
Grape soda lupine, Lupinus excubitus
Guess what these flowers smell like? A compact lupine that needs excellent drainage, low fertility soil, and no summer water.
It’s silvery leaves are attractive on their own, then it bursts into flower April-June and you’re in love again! Plant carefully as their
long taproot is sensitive to disturbance. I’ve found them growing in the nastiest conditions on steep roadcuts in soil that is mostly
rock, so don’t baby them.
Silver
bush lupine, Lupinus albifrons
After several years, this plant
will discard its ground hugging
ways and become a large 5
foot shrub. Flowers are stunning, almost luminescent with
spikes to 1 foot long in AprilJuly. Prefers full sun but will
tolerate some dappled shade
for part of the day, and needs
well drained low nutrient soil.
Photo credit: Annie’s Annuals
MONKEYFLOWERS
There are 150 species of monkeyflowers in the world, and about half of them live
in California! Not only do they hybridize in nature, plant breeders have gone wild
creating varieties in colors ranging from brick red to the palest yellow. Many species grow in wet or foggy coastal areas. Your challenge is to find the ones that
like dry conditions and originate in the Sierra Mountains
Sticky monkeyflower, Diplacus (Mimulus) aurantiacus
The sticky monkeyflower grows everywhere in California. The wild type has a
gentle pastel gold or melon color that is unusual among garden flowers. It
blooms from spring to fall, so is an important staple for hummingbirds. Mr.
Sticky does well in full sun, part shade, and even full shade, and becomes scraggly
or dormant in hot summer months, so give it a good soak once a month in summer. A subshrub, it grows about 1 foot tall and wide from a woody base.
The stickiness is from resinous hairs on the leaves with which the monkeyflower
attempts to slow down the caterpillars of the checkerspot butterfly
Brousseau Collection,
Saint Mary’s College
Steven Thorsted, 2007
Scarlet monkeyflower,
Mimulus cardinalis
This one needs a wet spot as it naturally
grows by creeks and seeps, so plant it
under the birdbath or around the rain
barrel. A hummingbird magnet, it
grows 1-2 feet and flowers throughout
the summer. It readily self-seeds in
moist areas. Trim back as needed so it
doesn’t become leggy in late summer.
The monkeyflower is a plant that moves
fast enough for us to see. It’s pistil
(female part of the flower) has a tip that
looks like a pair of fat lips. Touched
gently, the lips will close, hoping to trap
a grain of pollen
Kier Morse, 2009
HONEYSUCKLES
A well-behaved vine might sound like
an oxymoron, but the native honeysuckles won’t take over your whole
yard.
Chaparral honeysuckle, Lonicera interrupta
The Chaparral honeysuckle likes to sprawl over other
shrubs or rocks, but with no tendrils, you would have to
weave the stems into a trellis. It likes full sun and is not
picky about soils, growing even in clay. It’s flowers have
that rich honeysuckle smell and bloom from spring to fall,
making it a hummingbird staple. Berries mature to a vivid, almost translucent red-orange and are eaten by birds.
Leaves are lost in winter and grow fresh in spring.
Southern honeysuckle, Lonicera subspicata
Another plant that can’t decide if it is a shrub or a vine, grows up to 8 feet. The
delicate cream colored flowers are surrounded by glossy deep green evergreen
leaves on attractive arching stems. Can tolerate clay soils, and enjoys sun to part
shade, a good plant for under oak trees. Berries may be yellow, orange, or red
and are relished by fruit eating birds.
Br. Alfred Brusseau, St Mary’s College
FLOWERS TO GROW FROM SEED
Sacred Datura, Datura wrightii
After a four year drought,
they’re still growing and blooming like crazy. Green when everything else is brown, the datura
has huge fabulous purple tinged
white fragrant flowers blooming
February to October. The datura
flowers open in late afternoon
and release their fragrance at
night to attract the hawkmoth.
The moth is a very effective pollinator but may lay eggs that
hatch into big green hungry caterpillars who defoliate the plant
their mother pollinated. Sacred
datura is easily grown from seed
that you can collect from the
plant in the vacant lot next door.
The sacred datura is highly toxic and hallucinogenic (hence it’s name), enjoy it in your garden but don’t eat it!
Western blue flax, Linum lewisii
A short-lived perennial that can readily self seed, it has a truly sky blue flower that cameras can never quite catch. Leaf stalks
grow to about 18 inches, and leaves stay green throughout the summer. Blue flax flowers through mid summer then dies back in
winter. The seeds in little round capsules are a favorite of birds. They are easy to grow from seeds if you can keep the birds from
eating all the seeds.
Jean Pawek, 2013
Barry Breckling, 2015
Golden Star, Bloomeria crocea
SOME BULBS
This delicate spring bloomer will pop up
from a bulb and flower from April to June and then disappear for
the summer. It’s spray of star flowers sit on top of a 1-2 foot bare
stem. Tuck them among other plants for a spring surprise. Does
well in full sun to part shade and tolerates heavy soils. Holds its
own among annual grasses. No water in summer after it has gone
dormant.
Steven Thorsted, 2001
Soaproot, Chlorogalum pomeridiianum
Another bulb, this plant’s life cycle starts in fall when long straplike leaves with wavy edges emerge from the bulb in response to
rainfall. In mid-spring, it sends up long leafless stems (up to five
feet) that expand into a flowering stalk of delicate lily flowers that
open in the afternoon, shine through the night and wither the
next morning. Although this pattern suggests it would be pollinated by moths, it is the large black carpenter bumblebees that carry
the pollen between plants. An excellent plant for your moon garden! Leaves die back during the heat of summer.
Barry Breckling, 2010
THE OAKS
Gary A Monroe, 2005
Valley oak, Quercus lobata
This magnificent statuesque oak has been largely removed from our Valley. Everyone who lives on the valley floor and has room
should be required to plant a new one! In nature, a sapling needs a high water table for 5-7 years to get established and have the
resources to grow its long tap root, so give your young plant a good soak about once a month. A mature valley oak has a huge
root system with taproots that can go down 80 feet and feeder roots that can extend twice as far as the drip line. It prefers deep
bottomland soil or a riparian area. Oaks are critical to support a large number of creatures.
OAK CARE
Jean Pawek, 2011
Blue oak, Quercus douglasii
In Tehachapi Valley, the blue oaks tend to
grow on the mountain slopes in rocky soils.
They are slow growing and smaller than valley oaks, but just as important to wildlife.
These icons of California have some
simple needs to keep them healthy.
Remove weeds from under newly
planted oaks for several years. Let
the oak leaf litter accumulate under
the trees, and add more dead oak
leaves from nearby if you can. Plant
native shrubs, grasses and flowering
perennials under the tree (limit disturbance to oak roots as much as
possible). Don’t water mature trees
and don’t combine them with plants
that need irrigation (like lawn). For
a free publication on oak care, go
to: http://anrcatalog.ucanr.edu/
Details.aspx?itemNo=21538
PINES AND OTHER CONIFERS
Ponderosa pines (Pinus ponderosa) and Jeffrey pine (Pinus jeffreyi) in our area have been under attack by pine bark beetles.
Until the epidemic passes, consider some of our other local conifers.
White fir, Abies concolor
Silvery-blue needles, light gray bark, and upright cones that
range through light green, purple, then brown, and conical
shape make for a striking tree. It is sensitive to being transplanted in fall, and would prefer to be planted at the canopy
edge of another tree. Grows slowly to 40 feet in the landscape. Saplings may be browsed by deer, winged seeds
feed birds and small mammals. In years with little or no
winter rain and snow, give it a good soak in spring.
Pinyon Pine, Pinus monophylla
A really slow grower and won’t produce cones for 20 years. Its best
use in the landscape may be as a bonsai, it is good for small yards
and for under utility lines. Cone shaped and very symmetrical, get
one for a Christmas tree and then plant it outside! Needles on the
ground have a chemical that prevents other plants from growing
under the tree..
Incense cedar, Calocedrus decurrens
Remember the smell of pencils? This tree has a delightfully fresh
woodsy smell. It’s a slow grower, but it will be huge in 1000 years! Its
conical shape makes for a good screen or wind break. Grows in all
kinds of soils and prefers some moisture although it is drought tolerant. Use this instead of arborvitae.
Daniel Passarini, 2012
Most spruces and firs grow naturally at higher elevations than
Tehachapi Valley, so are not included here. Redwoods and sequoias both need 100 or more inches of water per year. They’re
not a low water use plant in our climate.
Gray pine, Pinus sabiniana
This is the most common pine in our area. A tree with
character, it is rarely straight and often branches into
multiple crown shoots. The gray green foliage has a
light airy sense about it, and indeed, it is sometimes
called ghost pine or see-through pine. It grows relatively quickly, to 45 feet in 15 years. Pine nuts are
edible and tasty if you’re willing to do the work to get
them.
Jean Pawek, 2011
California juniper, Juniperus californica
The main reason to plant a juniper is for the
birds. They feast on the berries and find cover
in the dense foliage. A slow grower that tends
to stay shrubby, it can work in smaller yards
and under utility lines. Prefers full sun and
well drained rocky soil.
LARGER DECIDUOUS TREES
THAT ARE DROUGHT TOLERANT WHEN THEY ARE MATURE
Boxelder, Acer negundo
A cousin to the maples, boxelder needs some extra water for the first several years and then is
very drought tolerant. Female plants grow delicate pink-green flowers in early spring that mature
into clumps of rustling seedheads until they twirl
away on the wind in fall. It is fast growing to 3050 feet so is a good shade or wind break tree.
Branches become brittle with age (50+ years) so
don’t plant it right next to the house. Grows in
just about any soil, climate, or elevation. It has
received a bad rap as a trash tree, but it is included here because of its desirable qualities—will
grow anywhere, needs extra water only during
drought, and the birds and small mammals love
the seeds. Don’t get the variegated varieties because the leaves tend to burn in hot weather.
John J Kehoe, 2010
Jean Pawek, 2013
Netleaf hackberry, Celtis reticulata
A shade tree to 30 feet, good for smaller landscapes. It is
often twisted and contorted and the bark is warty looking—a tree with character! Likes to be planted next to
boulders. Its best feature are the berries which are relished by birds and other wildlife.
California Lilacs
Ceanothus
These large evergreen shrubs can turn a mountainside blue or white in
spring. The blooms and fragrance delights the senses (and the bees). They
are a bit of a challenge to get started, but if a plant makes it past 2 years, it
will go on for another 20-50 years. Nobody knows why they are so sensitive when newly planted, but more water is not the answer! They make a
great screen and the widespread roots are good for slope stabilization.
Chaparral whitethorn,
Ceanothus leucodermis
Flowers range from white to china blue,
and the bark is a greenish or grayish white.
It will grow to 8 feet tall and wide. Surround it with pine needles or oak leaf
mulch and water abundantly the first time,
then just 3-5 more times, and stop. Either
it likes where it was planted and will take
off, or it will decline and die. Deer don’t
mind nibbling on ceanothus, so put a
chicken wire fence around it until it gets
going. Young plants can be sensitive to
frost.
Photo credit: lostinthelandscape.com
Buckbrush, Ceanothus cuneatus
In spite of its name, buckbrush is deer resistant,
but they like to sleep under it! While blooming, it
has a strong fragrance and is loved by the three B’s
(birds, bees, and butterflies).
If you find big fat caterpillars on your ceanothus,
they may be the ceanothus silk moth, Hyalophora
euryalus.
© 1995 Saint Mary’s College of
THE MANZANITAS
Gary A Monroe, 2008
Big berry manzanita, Arctostaphylos glauca
© 1995 Saint Marys College of California
Leave lots of room for this one! It grows to 7-10 feet wide and tall. It
blooms very early in spring (Jan-Feb) so can help support pollinators during
a time when little else is blooming. Hummingbirds will sip from the white
flowers. The fruits in fall are eaten by a wide variety of creatures. Big berry
manzanita likes to live among boulders. Shallow wide roots make it a good
soil stabilizer.
Like the oaks, manzanitas are another iconic California plant. Their beautiful red-brown bark highlights twisted and contorted branches. They are evergreen, and provide a refreshing green in the
landscape in even very hot dry conditions. All sorts of creatures eat the berries, including its namesake (Arcto = bear, staphylos = grapes). There are many species of manzanita, not to mention the
hybrids, cultivars, and varieties. Many are coastal, so make sure you get mountain forms. After a
year of watering to get them established, they should never be watered again (or fertilized). Overwatering will cause root rot and possibly death. A manzanita can grow to become a fabulous focal
point for the landscape, but don’t surround it with plants that need regular irrigation. Prune manzanitas in summer.
Parry’s manzanita, Arctostaphylos
parryana
Very similar to big berry manzanita
except that it’s mature size is
smaller (up to 3 feet tall and 6 feet
across) and more mounding. It
may be difficult to find, but is included here because it thrives at
higher elevations and very cold
winters. This would be a better
choice for anyone living higher in
the mountains. It flowers in early
spring.
David Graver, 1992
Greenleaf manzanita, Arctostaphylos patula
Another high elevation species, this one is more colorful, with bright green leaves,
bright cherry red fruits and pinkish flowers. Flowers are not produced until the
plant is several years old, but then bloom in January and February, helping the pollinators get through the winter. Stems may root where they touch the ground.
Greenleaf manzanita prefers full sun and well drained soils.
Barry Breckling, 2010
Kier Morse, 2009
FEED THE BIRDS!
Coffeeberry, Frangula (Rhamnus) californica
Do you need a plain ol’ shrub in your landscape?
Coffeeberry will serve that purpose until it lights up in
fall with berries that range from green through yellow,
orange, red to a deep purple or black ripe color, all on
the bush at the same time. It’s flowers are not showy,
but they are surrounded by a constant buzz of pollinators. Grows fast to 8 feet, so it is useful as a screen,
and also tolerates some shade. Good for under oaks.
A whole list of birds will eat the berries. The berries
can stain concrete and other hardscape.
Jean Pawek, 2013
Western chokecherry, Prunus virginiana demissa
Since chokecherries grow across the country, be sure to get the California subspecies demissa which is adapted to our climate. Chokecherry will spread by rhizomes
and form thickets, which is great for bank stabilization, but may not work in a formal
garden. In the wild, it grows near seeps and springs, so will work in an irrigated garden. Or give it some extra water about once a month in summer. The berries are
tasty, but good luck getting any ripe fruit before the birds get it! The California hairstreak butterfly caterpillars feed on chokecherry, and the flowers are considered an
important nectar source for native bees.
Saint Marys College, CA 1995
Steve Thorsted, 2012
Elderberry, Sambucus mexicana
Full sun and well drained soil is preferable, although it tolerates clay. Individual flowers are tiny, but the off white to light yellow
flower clusters are attractive, and cover the plant in spring. The show really gets started when the berries ripen in fall. One author
listed 27 birds that eat the berries without half trying, not to mention other small and large critters. Prefers regular moisture and
will do ok in an irrigated area, or water thoroughly a couple of times a month. After about two years to establish, elderberries are
very drought tolerant. They are fast growing and prone to forming thickets and suckering, which is great for wildlife shelter. If you
want a tree shape, prune in winter when the plant is dormant.
Oregon grape, Berberis (Mahonia) aquifolium
An evergreen shrub to 6 feet tall with glossy dark green leaves armed with spiny teeth. The dark leaves make a great background
for the vivid yellow flower clusters in early spring (helping pollinators through the winter). If you plant it, you will have bluebirds,
they relish the berries along with other berry eating birds. Leaves turn bronze for the winter. Ok in shade and good under oaks.
Vernon Smith.
Barry Breckling, 2012
Jean Pawek, 2013
Flannelbush, Fremontodendron californicum
This native of chaparral has a rangy unkempt appearance best kept
in the background until it bursts into a golden fount of flowers in
spring. Shallow roots make it a good bank stabilizer but stake it up
for the first year. It is a fast grower that requires well drained soil.
The whole plant is covered with minute hairs that can be irritating.
The large dark seeds that fall from the fuzzy pods are snatched up
by quail and other ground nesting birds. Water thoroughly when
the top few inches of soil are dry for up to a year after planting—
and then never again.
Green ephedra, Ephedra viridis
An evergreen shrub to 4 feet tall and
wide, it looks like a bunch of leafless
green sticks—because that’s what it is!
The leaves have evolved into small
scales. Ephedra is highly drought tolerant, another plant that, once established, needs no extra water. Its bright
green color (not shown so well in this
photo) is a welcome change of pace
from the sage green and gray of most
low water use plants, and it adds a
different texture to your landscape.
The plant is good for slope stabilization.
This ephedra species is a relative of the
plant that was used in weight loss supplements that were subsequently
banned by FDA. Green ephedra does
not contain the chemical of concern
(ephedrine), but still makes a tasty tea.
LOW GROUNDCOVER PLANTS
Creeping snowberry, Symphoricarpos mollis
Creeping snowberry is a delicate little plant that
grows to about a foot tall and can expand to several
feet wide. It’s flowers are small and pink, easily
overlooked. The real show starts in fall when the
snowberry loses its leaves and becomes a mass of
twigs covered with the stark white berries. The berries are more of an emergency end-of-winter food
for birds. They taste like Ivory soap!
Snowberry will weather our hot summers better if
planted in part shade or shade. They do well under
oaks, and will keep the oak leaf mulch under the tree
during windy weather.
California evening primrose, Oenothera californica
Plant this one in full sun in sandy or rocky soils, and
keep the weeds from encroaching into its space. California evening primrose grows about one foot high
and can get quite a bit wider. The flowers bloom
through spring and have a nice fragrance. Like many
other evening primroses, its flowers open in late afternoon, and wait for hawkmoths to pollinate them and
maybe lay eggs for the caterpillars to eat them. Otherwise they are not typically bothered by other plant
eaters. The plants may go dormant in late summer
and seem to disappear, only to re-emerge with winter
rains.
J G Riand, 2006
Jean Pawek, 2011
SOME SUCCULENTS
Growing out of cracks in sheer granite cliff faces, the liveforevers not only survive, but put on brilliant flower displays in spring,
shrivel up into almost nothing in summer heat, and plump up their thick leaves again with fall rains. They need rocks. Put them
in your rock garden or mulch them with a pile of pebbles. They do well in pots if you let the well drained soil dry out completely
between watering. Don’t water at all in summer, their dormant cycle is normal. And don’t throw them out thinking they’re
dead! They grow pups that can be separated, but let the broken part callous over before planting. Plant them at an angle so
water will drain out of the rosette of leaves.
Canyon liveforever, Dudleya cymosa
Just a couple of inches high and wide, the canyon liveforever makes up for its size with a fireworks display of flowers ranging from pale yellow, gold, orange, and red. Prefers well
drained soil but will tolerate clay. They also
prefer afternoon shade. Liveforever is a host
for the Sonoran blue butterfly, Phylotes sonorensis.
Lanceleaf liveforever, Dudleya lanceolate
Barry Breckling, 2009
About one foot tall and wide, its range is both
coastal and in the mountains. Try to find one
that originated from an interior location. Plant
in filtered light. May need protection from
freezing weather.
You don’t have to have cactus in a waterwise landscape….but you can!
Beavertail pricklypear, Opuntia basilaris
Susan Prince,
Silver cholla, Cylindropuntia echinocarpa
Some varieties of this cactus have golden spines, and you can
guess their common name! Plant in full sun in an area of excellent
drainage, mulch with rock or pebbles, water it in for a couple of
months and that’s all there is to it. If you’re really lucky, a cactus
wren might build a nest in it.
For a couple of weeks in spring, this cactus puts on an
awesome hot pink flower show—then its over until next
year. It may look spineless, but each dot on the enlarged
stems contains a clump of tiny spines, or glochids. Needs
really well drained soil. Water a couple of times in spring,
or not. No water in fall and it will handle a cold winter
better than if it was plump and juicy. Fruits and pads are
edible if you learn how to prepare them right.
Barry Rice, 2013
Chaparral yucca, Hesperoyucca whipplei
Here’s a great plant for under your windows to deter burglars!
Otherwise consider its location carefully, taking into account
up to six feet in diameter of sharp pointed leaves. Water to
get it established then never again. It takes 3 or more years to
reach maturity and produce its spectacular flowering stalk.
Chaparral yucca holds the record for fastest plant growth, the
stalk grew 12 feet in 14 days. The plant may die after flowering—or not, and it may produce offshoots—-or not. It is a
quite variable species. Full sun and any type of soil.
Chaparral yucca has a single pollinator, the California
yucca moth, Tegeticula maculate. This partnership is
a classic example of symbiosis, the one couldn’t live
without the other and vice versa.
Joshua tree, Yucca brevifolia
Barry Rice, 2013
The Joshua tree will grow up to 40+ feet tall, just not in our lifetime.
Some have been measured at over 1000 years old. It is an essential
wildlife plant, the list of creatures that use it for nesting, food, perching, etc. goes on and on. Ladder-backed woodpeckers and flickers
peck holes in the trunk for their nests. The dead leaves bend down
along the trunk and should not be removed as they protect the plant
and provide hiding places for small creatures. Similar to the chaparral
yucca, there is not one but two yucca moths that pollinate the flowers.
Joshua trees need a cold spell to flourish and flower.
Joshua tree seeds do not have a very efficient dispersal mechanism,
and like several other plant species, the seed disperser is thought to
be extinct. In the case of the Joshua tree, we know seeds were dispersed by the Shasta giant ground sloth. A well preserved sloth from
12,000 years ago was found with Joshua tree fruits and seeds in its
stomach.
This publication was created by:
We provide Water Conservation Programs throughout Tehachapi Valley, including

Irrigation check-ups. For homes, businesses, and institutions, we identify problems that
waste water or decrease efficiency, provide a site-specific watering schedule, and teach
you how to set your irrigation timer. No charge.

Teach WaterWise gardening classes.

Promote the state Department of Water Resources, Turf Removal Rebate Program and
provide site-specific assistance to help you through the process.